Around
Raycast
| Feature | Around | Raycast |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10.99/mo | Free / from $8/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.8 / 5 |
| Best For | remote-teams, quick-standups, pair-programming, distributed-teams | mac-developers, power-users, productivity-enthusiasts, keyboard-driven-workflows |
| Founded | 2020 | 2020 |
| Floating Video | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto Leveling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Noise Cancellation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Screen Sharing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reactions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Virtual Backgrounds | ✓ | ✗ |
| Launcher | ✗ | ✓ |
| Extensions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ai Chat | ✗ | ✓ |
| Window Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Clipboard History | ✗ | ✓ |
| Snippets | ✗ | ✓ |
| Quicklinks | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Around Pros
- Lightweight and fast
- Minimal floating interface
- Good noise cancellation
- Reduces meeting fatigue
✗ Around Cons
- Limited features vs Zoom
- Smaller user base
- No recording on free
✓ Raycast Pros
- Incredibly fast keyboard-driven launcher
- Rich extension store with 1000+ community extensions
- Built-in AI chat with multiple models (GPT-4, Claude)
- Window management and clipboard history included
✗ Raycast Cons
- macOS only (no Windows or Linux support)
- AI features require Pro subscription
- Some extensions less polished than native apps
The Verdict
Around is built for remote teams and quick standups, with a focus on floating-video and auto-leveling. Raycast targets mac developers and power users and leads with launcher and extensions.
Pricing is close: Raycast starts at $8/mo versus $10.99/mo for Around — not a deciding factor on its own.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Raycast edges out on user ratings (4.8 vs 4.2). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Feature-wise, Raycast offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Around takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Raycast has a slight overall edge — but if lightweight and fast matters most to you, Around may still be the right call.